A randomised controlled trial of a brief self-help intervention for post infectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Patients in this study were randomised to receive either a brief self-help intervention based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) principles or standard medical care across the same seven week period. The self-help intervention developed specifically for this study consists of a structured manual divided into seven weekly sessions. The first chapter provides a detailed biopsychosocial model of IBS that explains why patients continue to experience symptoms after their initial infection and justifies the approach used in the manual. The remaining chapters provide behavioural guidelines for managing diarrhoea and constipation, advice on behavioural change for diet and exercise, cognitive strategies to challenge unhelpful thoughts or beliefs about symptoms, identifying and managing perfectionism, as well as stress and sleep management. Patients received the manual together with an initial face-to-face session with a CBT therapist explaining the programme and the model of IBS and two one-hour phone call follow-ups at 3 and 5 weeks into the programme with the same therapist.